I think the too-expository first few sentences take away from what could be more subtle hints (maybe through dialogue?) at the terrible state the world is in. Right now, they feel just a tad preachy instead of emotionally felt, which I think would be much more powerful. The idea at the end is very interesting though, and leads to some intriguing possibilities.

I have to agree with Stovohobo. The entire first paragraph, while important to you in terms of setting the stage for the piece, could as easily be omitted and the reader would still be able to figure out what’s going on, I think. We’ve only got 1024 characters to play with. Use them wisely and trust your readers to be able to fill in blanks where they need to.

Another problem with this type of exposition is that it makes it very difficult to write a prequel that flows into this story, should someone feel inclined to do so.

Edits have been made.